Dementor | Harry Potter Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Dementors guarding the Muggle-Born Registration Commission trial courtroom During the 1997 infiltration of the Ministry of Magic , while Harry Potter was disguised as Albert Runcorn , he encountered the Dementors in the Muggle-Born Registration Commission court room, where they were used to take away convicted Muggle-borns after interrogation and to terrorise them during interrogation. Dolores Umbridge protected herself and the other questioners with a cat Patronus , which dissipated when Harry stunned her. Harry and Hermione then performed the charm to save the Muggle-borns who had yet to be interrogated from the Dementors. Dementors now stationed at Hogwarts during the height of the Second Wizarding War After Apparating to Hogsmeade , Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off a Caterwauling Charm and hid under Harry's Invisibility Cloak . Unable to find them the Death Eaters dispatched Dementors to attack the trio, as Dementors sensed the presents of others and did not rely on sight. Harry was forced to cast his Patronus to protect the trio from being kissed .

They could not Disapparate due to an Anti-Disapparition Jinx placed on the village, and were stuck. Harry drove away the Dementors, but almost gave the three away, as his Patrouns was very distinctive, Aberforth Dumbledore saved them and passed off Harry's stag as his own goat Patronus and ushered the trio into his pub. Dementors participate in the Battle of Hogwarts and are fended of with Patronuses Later, during the Battle of Hogwarts , the Dementors fought on the side of Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters . Harry Potter , Hermione Granger , and Ron Weasley were attacked by large numbers of Dementors, and due to the horrific events they had experienced and witnessed, including the recent death of Fred Weasley , they all had difficulty summoning their Patronuses. In fact, Harry welcomed the fate that came with a Dementor's kiss, but Seamus Finnigan , Luna Lovegood , and Ernie Macmillan attacked the Dementors with their own Patronuses holding them at bay and encouraged Harry to do the same, allowing him to finally summon his Patronus, which caused the Dementors to scatter.

Later, Harry encountered more Dementors in the Forbidden Forest , but the presence of James, Lily, Sirius and Lupin, summoned through the Resurrection Stone , shielded him from them. [7] Post 1998 After the Second Wizarding War , the Ministry of Magic became headed by former- Auror and Order of the Phoenix member Kingsley Shacklebolt . Due to their actions during the war (allowing Death Eaters to escape back to Voldemort and joining forces with him themselves), Shacklebolt disbanded the Dementors as guards of the wizard prison . It is unknown where they went or what they did without their only known application. After the Dementors were removed from the prison, Aurors were placed in the prison as guards. Description Appearance Dementors have a humanoid shape, approximately three metres, or 10 feet high, and are covered in dark hooded cloaks of long ripped black cloth, making them closely resemble wraiths. Its body is greyed and decayed looking, like a decomposing corpse, and its breath sounds rattling, like it is trying to "suck more than air" out of a room.

Its hands are "glistening, greyish, slimy-looking, and scabbed". They seem to exude cold. A Dementor's mouth A Dementor's face has empty eye sockets, covered with scabbed skin. There is a gaping large hole where the mouth should be, which is used for sucking the soul out of the victim in a process called the Dementor's Kiss , leaving victims in a state generally considered worse than death . The Dementor pulls back its hood and sucks out its victim's soul, leaving the person an empty shell, alive but completely, irretrievably 'gone'. Unlike other creatures, who move through some means of physical support, Dementors can fly freely. The books describe them as able to glide over the ground only, and in any case, they cannot pass through solid obstacles. [2] Dementors are also known to be blind, as they do not have eyes. However, they can sense whether a presence is near them or not, by sensing the victim's emotions. Nature and behaviour "He felt the unnatural cold begin to steal over the street. Light was sucked from the environment right up to the stars, which vanished...

The cold was biting deeper and deeper into Harry 's flesh... Then, around the corner, gliding noiselessly, came Dementors, ten or more of them, visible because they were of a denser darkness than their surroundings, with their black cloaks and their scabbed and rotting hands. Could they sense fear in the vicinity? Harry was sure of it: They seemed to be coming more quickly now, taking those dragging, rattling breaths he detested, tasting despair on the air, closing in —" —Description of Dementors as they close in [src] Dementors gliding together in mass numbers Dementors seem to suck all the light and happiness from the air as they draw long rattling breaths, and cause darkness to close in everywhere and the victim to feel incredibly cold. They can glide toward a victim without sound, and they are sentient enough to taste and sense fear, being drawn to it and the promise of positive memories that it can feed off of. They are also intelligent enough to be greedy: they obeyed the Ministry of Magic for years because, in guarding Azkaban , they were provided with sustenance of any remaining hope or happiness in the prisoners.

They can understand and follow at least simple instructions, which allowed a Dementor to act as a bodyguard to Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge in 1995 , [5] and for them to escort prisoners in and out of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission courtroom in 1997 . [7] They could communicate what they had heard Sirius Black saying in his sleep to the Ministry in 1993 , implying that they can speak or otherwise communicate with wizards. Albus Dumbledore also describes Dementors as vicious creatures and that they won't ever distinguish between those they are hunting and those that are in their way. He also informs the students to give Dementors no reason to harm them, saying that forgiveness is not in a Dementor's nature. Outside of Azkaban, Dementors appear to hunt for prey in groups of variable size, from as small as two to as large as greater than twenty. They appear to attack by first surrounding their targets, cutting off any escape, then descending upon them all at once to feed. Abilities "They don't need walls and water to keep the prisoners in, not when they're trapped inside their own heads, incapable of a single cheerful thought.

Most go mad within weeks." — Remus Lupin on Azkaban prisoners' long-term exposure to Dementors [src] Being blind, Dementors sense and feed on the positive emotions of human beings in order to survive, forcing their victims to relive their worst memories over and over again. The very presence of a Dementor can make the victim's surrounding atmosphere grow cold and dark, and as the number of Dementors increase, so do the effects. Those that are kept in the company of a Dementor for too long tend to become depressed, and are often driven insane, which was the main source of Azkaban 's well-deserved horrible reputation when they still guarded its prisoners. After spending only a few months there, Rubeus Hagrid claims he wished he would die in his sleep. [2] A dementor sucking all the positive emotion from Harry Potter Dementors rely fully on their ability to sense emotion and physical and/or mental health to track the movements of the prisoners in their care, and are generally unable to distinguish one person from another if both are in similar physical or mental condition.

They were unable to identify Mrs Crouch being sneaked into Azkaban disguised as Bartemius Crouch Jr using Polyjuice Potion , or Barty Crouch Jr being sneaked out disguised as his mother, since both were ill nearly to the point of death, as divulged by Bartemius Crouch Jr under the influence of Veritaserum in 1995 (though it may be that they simply did not care who they were sucking happiness from so long as they were "fed"). They can also not distinguish between humans and animals very easily; Sirius Black , an Animagus , escaped from Azkaban in his dog form. When he became his dog form during imprisonment, the Dementors thought he was losing his mind as his emotions were less human in his animagus form. Although Muggles cannot see Dementors, they are affected in a way similar to wizards and witches, becoming depressed when near them. [6] While at least one Squib , Arabella Figg , has claimed to see a Dementor, [6] the truth is that Squibs cannot see them, but have enough magical knowledge to identify their effects.

[8] After Bartemius Crouch Jr's mother died in Azkaban, Dementors buried her body, which shows that Dementors are capable of physical labour, such as grave-digging. Also, Sirius escaped when the Dementors came to give food, another sort of labour. It is stated by Remus Lupin that, if a wizard remains in close contact with Dementors for an extended period of time, a Dementor can drain a wizard of his powers. This is not touched upon after being mentioned, so the truth to this statement is unknown. If this is the case, however, it would make Dementors the only known being to permanently render a wizard without magic. Lupin might also mean this metaphorically, as severe depression, which is caused by prolonged contact with Dementors, can be really detrimental to a wizard's ability to cast spells. Dementor's Kiss Azkaban | Harry Potter Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia — J. K. Rowling regarding the island Azkaban is located on [src] The island on which Azkaban was built never appeared on any map and was believed to have been created or enlarged by magical means.

[1] Azkaban was initially a fortress which was home to the evil wizard Ekrizdis , known for luring Muggles onto his island where he tortured and murdered them. After his death, the concealment charms he had cast faded away and the Ministry of Magic acknowledged the island's existence for the first time. Even then, the place was infested with Dementors , foul creatures that suck the happiness out of the victim and cause great suffering to those near them. Authorities considered destroying the fortress, but decided against it in fear of the possible revenge of the Dementors or the island itself. Thereafter the island was left alone for years, before the establishment of the International Statute of Secrecy . Because of the impracticality of using small wizarding prisons which could result in bangs, smells and light shows, should victims escape, plans for a purpose-built prison for wizards on some remote Hebridean island were made. However, when Damocles Rowle was elected Minister for Magic in 1718 , he insisted on using Azkaban instead, seeing the Dementors as an advantage because using them as guards would save expense, time and trouble.

This plan was eventually put into motion and despite protests, Azkaban remained the prison of the wizarding world, mostly because of the complete lack of breakouts and breaches of security. Although the subsequent Minister Eldritch Diggory , having visited Azkaban and witnessed its horror, fought to find alternatives to the prison or at the very least remove the Dementors, he caught Dragon Pox in 1747 , before they could reach a decision. When Minister Hesphaestus Gore took office, he was responsible for renovating and reinforcing Azkaban. No one else seriously considered closing the prison until the advent of Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt in 1998 . Azkaban gained a reputation as a horrible place, mostly due to the prison's guards: Dementors. Because of this, most of the prisoners eventually went insane and slowly died under the Dementors' influence.

Since 1717 , using any of the three Unforgivable Curses on another human being has carried a punishment of a life sentence in Azkaban (unless there is sufficient evidence that the caster did so under the influence of the Imperius Curse , or legal exceptions made by the Ministry of Magic as in the case of Aurors in the First Wizarding War ). Security Pre-1998 " He claimed that the Dementors living there were an advantage: they could be harnessed as guards, saving the Ministry time, trouble and expense." —Security before the end of the Second Wizarding War [src] The Daily Prophet announcing the 1996 mass break-out Azkaban was guarded by Dementors until most of them revolted and joined Lord Voldemort in summer of 1995 . As a result, Voldemort's Death Eaters escaped en masse to rejoin their master in both 1996 and 1997 . [3] There is most likely an Anti-Apparition jinx on Azkaban; if there were not, wizards and witches could simply Apparate from the prison to the outside world.

However, since it is debatable that most witches and wizards need a wand to Apparate, this may be irrelevant, as none of the prisoners maintain possession of their wands. Before 1995, most of the prisoners would barely have had enough strength to Apparate anyway, as the mere presence of Dementors, particularly in large numbers, inhibits the use of magical powers. Before the Dementors' revolt, the only people ever to escape the prison were Barty Crouch Jr and Sirius Black , in 1982 and 1993 , respectively. Barty Crouch Jr was smuggled out by his father, Barty Crouch Snr , and replaced by his dying mother using Polyjuice Potion [4] , while Sirius was able to escape by changing into his Animagus form of a dog. [5] The revolt has severely compromised the security, as multiple escapes were made with no more Dementors guarding the prison; the Ministry continued omitting certain facts to maintain their facade of having everything under control, including keeping one breakout a secret. Dementors, the guards There is a graveyard outside the wall of Azkaban where the Dementors buried prisoners who died.

However, if the dead prisoner has a relative who is not a criminal, the relative in question has the right to pick up the corpse for a proper burial, as Barty Crouch Snr had the right to pick up the body that was disguised as his son , though he chose not to due to fear of being exposed of committing a jailbreak. Although the prison is in the middle of the ocean with iron walls protecting it, it was unnecessary to keep prisoners inside, as Remus Lupin stated, because the prisoners were already trapped in their own heads due to the intense depression caused by the Dementors. As Sirius indicated, most prisoners went insane after a short while, and some even stopped eating, preferring death to their lives within Azkaban. Dementors fed the prisoners, indicating the prisoners might have felt depression at mealtimes. Visits to the island are heavily restricted, as only respectable Ministry officials were noted to be allowed to visit any possible relatives. An example is when Barty Crouch Snr and his wife were allowed a deathbed visit to their imprisoned son due to the former's high status in the government; they took advantage of this privilege to smuggle Barty Jr out of prison.

[4] The Minister for Magic is also allowed to visit the prison, as to check out on certain prisoners for their conditions, as Cornelius Fudge did on Sirius Black . [5] Arthur Weasley visited Azkaban on business once. After the war "Under Kingsley Shacklebolt, Azkaban was purged of Dementors. While it remains in use as a prison, the guards are now Aurors, who are regularly rotated from the mainland. There has been no breakout since this new system was introduced." —Azkaban after the Second Wizarding War [src] Harry Potter's Dementors inspire new name for "soul-sucking" wasp 11:37 AM, 07 May 2014 Expecto Patronum! A new species of wasp has been named after dark Harry Potter characters the Dementors. The wasp, which was discovered in Thailand in 2008, is now the newly christened Ampulex dementor, after scientists noticed similarities between the insects and the soul-sucking creatures in JK Rowling's hit Harry Potter series. Sound strange?

Well, the A.dementor wasp lays its eggs inside cockroaches who they have partly paralysed with a sting, leaving the cockroach in a unique "docile" state where the victim is physically able to escape, but doesn't. The eggs then hatch inside the cockroach, and the lava end up consuming the beetle. Pretty gruesome behaviour which has recognisable parallels to the feared (and luckily fictional) Dementor's Kiss. As well as feeding off human happiness and generally causing despair wherever they go, the Dementors of the wizarding world attack victims with a kiss, which sucks out a person's soul leaving them in a permament vegetative state. The fitting new name was chosen after visitors to Berlin's Natural History Museum were asked to vote on a moniker for the critter, in the hope that it would raise visitor involvement and boost interest in science. Other, less fantastical, options were A. mon, A.bicolor and A.plagiator. The description for the A.dementor name at the museum read: "The species name refers to the dementors, which are fictional characters appearing in Harry Potter books.

Dementors are magical beings, which can consume a person’s soul, leaving their victims as an empty but functional body without personality or emotions. The name is an allusion to the docility of the paralyzed cockroach." How did dementors work as the guards of Azkaban in Harry Potter? - Quora Quora Written Apr 16, 2016 A Dementor is a non-being and Dark creature, considered one of the foulest to inhabit the world. Dementors feed upon human happiness, and thus cause depression and despair to anyone near them. They can also consume a person's soul, leaving their victims in a permanent vegetative state, and thus are often referred to as "soul-sucking fiends". They are known to leave a person as an 'empty-shell'. The Ministry of Magic employed Dementors as the guards of Azkaban prison, until mid-1996, when Lord Voldemort was sighted in the Ministry, and their defection to his side was realised. The Dementors supposedly led the Death Eaters and Voldemort into the Ministry of Magic.

After the end of the Second Wizarding War in 1998, the Ministry was reformed, and Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt ensured that they were not used by the government again. History: The island in the North Sea on which the wizard prison is built has never appeared on any map, wizard or Muggle. Perhaps the first resident, the sorcerer 'Ekrizdis', who practised the worst kinds of Dark magic, constructed a fortress and lured Muggle sailors there to torture and murder them. After his death, the various concealment charms placed on the island faded, and the Ministry became aware of the mysterious site's existence. Those who entered to investigate the island came across Dementors. Fearing the potential reprisals of these dark entities, if anyone tried to evict them from their home, the Ministry decided to let the sizable colony stay, unmolested and unchecked. When Damocles Rowle was elected Minister for Magic in 1718, he insisted on using Azkaban instead, seeing the Dementors as an advantage because using them as guards would save expense, time, and trouble.

This plan was eventually put into motion and despite protests, Azkaban remained the prison of the wizarding world, mostly because of the complete lack of breakouts and breaches of security. Ever since, the Dementors served the Ministry of Magic as the guards of Azkaban, as it let them feed on the emotions of the prisoners within its walls. Written Mar 29, 2016 Azkaban is situated on an island in the middle of the sea and is guarded by Dementors, soul sucking happiness depriving creatures. These creatures are very powerful. They basically survive on your happiness.They drank up all the hopes, happy memories and the beliefs of every witch or wizard in Azkaban. If someone(magic or muggle) is just left with only bad memories of their life, it will drive them insane. Prisoners get extremely depressed and can't even place their hope on family,friends or loved ones to survive, all they will remember is the bad things that might have happened with them. People must plunge to depths of depression and that is enough to drive anyone insane. Some may have fallen to the deep end and begin hallucinating.

Sirius remained fairly sane because he clung to the truth, the fact that he was not responsible for the Potters' death. He focused on that, found out where Harry was from the daily prophet, turned into a dog(animagus) and escaped(swan across). The Dementors could not understand Sirius' emotions when he was a dog, hence the escape was not detected immediately. 420 Views · View Upvotes · Not for Reproduction Nate Whitfield , Know so much about Harry Potter and love it! Pottermore member and fanfic writer Written Apr 16, 2016 Dementors guard Azkaban prison by literally sucking the soul out of the prisoners.

This works up until 1993, when Sirius Black (harry's godfather and convicted mass-murderer) escaped because he had learned to live there after 12 years by turning into a dog as an animagus and when in that form, he couldn't feel the emotions or his soul at the same level (even though the dementors didn't distiguish him as an animal.) Again in 1994, a high-security prisoner (Barty Crouch Jnr) escaped because his mother came into the prison and swapped out with him. She was in despair, so the dementors couldn't distinguish her from her son, who went crazy. In 1995/6, Bellatrix Lestrange and 10 other Death Eaters escaped (Fudge, Minister of Magic blamed it on Sirius) because they had been driven insane and Lord Voldemort broke them out. Have a great day ;-) View All Critic Reviews (250) Audience Reviews for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban It's inconsistent with the rest of the franchise in terms of directorial choices, but as a stand-alone film it is possibly one of the best fantasy films ever made.

Matthew Samuel Mirliani Super Reviewer Cuarón is definitely a better director for this adaptation than Columbus, since this is a darker, more character-centered story compared to the previous two, and the result is more condensed and not so faithful, which works for the best as it leaves out some of the book's few problems. Carlos Magalhães Super Reviewer One of the most perplexing and irritating aspects of Hollywood is the way it continues to churn out samey, mediocre fare based purely on the financial success of previous instalments. Having endured the first two Harry Potter films, and seen them gross more than $800m each, we might have expected the series to plod on ad nauseum, with every year or so bringing us another disappointing and inconsequential adventure for the little wizard. Fortunately for all concerned, this didn't happen. With Chris Columbus leaving the director's chair to spend more time with his family, the time was ripe for a fresh pair of eyes to come in and give the franchise the kick up the arse that it needed. With The Lord of the Rings trilogy now completed, garnering rave reviews and 11 Oscars, this would be the film that would need to justify going on.

While Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban never quite comes close to Peter Jackson's brilliance, it is far superior to anything that came before in the series and set the bar very high for all that came after. Alfonso Cuarón may now be a name toasted among film fans, following his gripping work on Children of Men and the groundbreaking visuals in Gravity. But he was by no means a shoe-in to direct. Guillermo del Toro said that he wasn't interested because it was too "bright and happy and full of light", while Marc Forster turned it down because of his work with child actors on Finding Neverland. In the end it came down to a three-way choice between Cuarón, Thelma and Louise screenwriter Callie Khouri, and Kenneth Branagh, who had appeared as Gilderoy Lockhart in the previous instalment, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The box office failure of Love's Labour's Lost probably deprived us of the heady excitement that would have been a Branagh-helmed Potter film.

But there can be no doubt that Cuarón was a great choice, for one simple reason: he understands how fantasy storytelling works, particularly how any fantasy film must be underpinned by a sense of wonderment. Columbus' pathological desire to faithfully replicate the books on screen had robbed J. K. Rowling's souce material of all its sense of wonder and amazement. Cuarón restores the balance, giving us a darker plot with more developed characters and never losing sight of the magic in amongst the spells. Put simply, all the details of the world of Harry Potter, and the story in which he finds himself, are more fully and strikingly realised in Prisoner of Azkaban. Cuarón gets a lot of the big stuff right early on, whether it's the light-hearted comedy of the Knight Bus or the chilling design of the Dementors. But he also puts in a lot of effort to make all the little details fit, particularly during the scenes at The Leaky Cauldron. Whether it's the self-stirring coffee, the angular corridors, the carnivorous books or the silently screaming wanted posters, you always feel that what you seeing is magic, rather than constantly being told that something is magic.

This magical feeling is reinforced by the film's colour palette. In my review of The Philosopher's Stone, I likened its visual style to sanitised adaptations of Charles Dickens which are common in America; as a general rule, I argued, British adaptations of Great Expectations, Oliver Twist and the like are more content to leave all the edges on. This film is shot by Michael Seresin, Alan Parker's cinematographer-of-choice who would later team up with Cuarón again on Gravity. Cuarón clearly understands the darker, more distinctly British routes of the series and the genres upon which it draws, and allows Seresin to work his murky magic with piercing blues and encircling blacks, making it look like a horor film for children. From a narrative point of view, Prisoner of Azkaban benefits greatly from the direct absence of Voldemort. On the one hand, the fact that he doesn't appear physically or personally in the story spares the film from becoming too repetitive or formulaic: it isn't simply retreading old ground and prolonging the inevitable.

This is the trap into which the later Potter films often fell: we always knew that things would end with a showdown between Harry and Voldemort, and the more the films went on without it happening, the more irritating the tease became. On the other hand, the Dark Lord's influence remains a background threat, allowing Cuarón to build a more intimidating atmosphere. In the first two films, Harry was constantly on the lookout for the man himself: we always knew who the bad guy was, even if we didn't know what form he would take. With Voldemort having to prey on Harry indirectly, he is forced to choose his friends more carefully, and learns over the course of the film just how deceptive appearances can be. By putting Harry on more insecure footing, the film manages to epitomise his adolescent confusion about the world, and the conflict he faces in fulfilling a role which he didn't choose. The first two films often painted Harry as a goody-two-shoes who had perfect parents, but here we get the first hints of things being a little more nuanced than that.

When Harry watches the Dementors kill him and Sirius, expecting his dad to come in and cast the patronus charm, he begins to realise that he cannot rest on their reputation if he is to grow as a wizard. While the next film in the series goes into this in more detail, threatening to tear apart the three central friendships, Prisoner of Azkaban does a good job of setting this up. This brings us on naturally to the time travel element of the story. Anyone familiar with Back to the Future Part II, Twelve Monkeys or Timecrimes will instantly recognise the territory we are in, with the characters constantly trying to avoid running into themselves, and events being repeated from different perspectives. Coming as it does towards the end of the film, our natural instinct is to conclude that it's surplus to requirement, one twist too many. But if we allow it to play out and watch as all the pieces fit together, we discover that it ties into the central themes of trust, and reputation quite nicely. Besides, if we can accept the existence of horcruxes, sorting hats and hippogriffs, time travel isn't much of a stretch. Despite all its darkness and intimidation, Prisoner of Azkaban also manages to be pretty funny.

The scene where Potter beats up Malfoy and his thugs near the Shrieking Shack is a classic piece of British slapstick, with Tom Felton showing excellent timing through his many pratfalls. The interplay between Snape and Sirius is like a double-act in itself, with Sirius' manic energy coming up against Snape's stonewalling seriousness. Throw in the first scene with the boggart and most of the opening section, and you have a film which achieves a fine balance of light and shade. With the young cast continuing to improve and grow into their roles, Prisoner of Azkaban also has a couple of aces up its sleeve in the adult cast. David Thewlis was an ideal choice for Lupin: he revels in his lanky physicality and whistful delivery, in stark contrast to his more tight-laced performance in Gangster No. 1. Gary Oldman's performance is equally remarkable, being much more operatic in scale but still retaining a gentle humanity. Oldman resists the urge to simply ham it up and play mad, imbuing Sirius with a tormented quality which makes him compelling. In spite of all its successes, there are still a couple of problems with Prisoner of Azkaban.

Despite the best efforts of Cuarón and screenwriter Steve Kloves, elements of the plot are still repetitive or predictable. After three films, it's fair to presume that whoever holds the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts is going to be a villain in some form, and it is equally certain that Dumbledore will pop up at key moments to misdirect, drop hints or mischievously intervene. These tropes aren't enough to derail the action at any given point, but they are pinches of salt to be taken whenever anyone describes this film as ground-breaking. Additionally, the film still feels longer than it should. This was the shortest of the three films at the time, at 142 minutes, and it remained the shortest until Order of the Phoenix three years later. But while the pacing is better than Columbus' offerings, it still feels like there is an awful lot of plot being squeezed in when the sensible thing would be to cut more stuff out. Cuarón keeps the fans at arms' length, deciding what he wants to shoot and leave in, but another couple of swift edits to get it down to two hours wouldn't have hurt.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a massive improvement on the first two films, justifying the continuation of the series and helping to explain its appeal to those out of the loop. While it's still too long and well-worn in places, it largely makes up for this with strong performances, interesting themes, much better pacing and a visual style that combines horror and fantasy to leave us really impressed. Whether it's the best Harry Potter film remains a matter of debate, but there is no debate that the later films owe their existence to its success. Daniel Mumby 9781408855676: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - AbeBooks - Rowling, J.

K.: 1408855674 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ISBN 10: 1408855674 ISBN 13: 9781408855676 Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2014 About this title When the Knight Bus crashes through the darkness and screeches to a halt in front of him, it's the start of another far from ordinary year at Hogwarts for Harry Potter. Sirius Black, escaped mass-murderer and follower of Lord Voldemort, is on the run - and they say he is coming after Harry. In his first ever Divination class, Professor Trelawney sees an omen of death in Harry's tea leaves ...But perhaps most terrifying of all are the Dementors patrolling the school grounds, with their soul-sucking kiss. These new editions of the classic and internationally bestselling, multi-award-winning series feature instantly pick-up-able new jackets by Jonny Duddle, with huge child appeal, to bring Harry Potter to the next generation of readers. It's time to PASS THE MAGIC ON ... "synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review: For most children, summer vacation is something to look forward to. But not for our 13-year-old hero, who's forced to spend his summers with an aunt, uncle, and cousin who detest him. The third book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series catapults into action when the young wizard "accidentally" causes the Dursleys' dreadful visitor Aunt Marge to inflate like a monstrous balloon and drift up to the ceiling. Fearing punishment from Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon (and from officials at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who strictly forbid students to cast spells in the nonmagic world of Muggles), Harry lunges out into the darkness with his heavy trunk and his owl Hedwig. As it turns out, Harry isn't punished at all for his errant wizardry. Instead he is mysteriously rescued from his Muggle neighborhood and whisked off in a triple-decker, violently purple bus to spend the remaining weeks of summer in a friendly inn called the Leaky Cauldron. What Harry has to face as he begins his third year at Hogwarts explains why the officials let him off easily.

It seems that Sirius Black--an escaped convict from the prison of Azkaban--is on the loose. Not only that, but he's after Harry Potter. But why? And why do the Dementors, the guards hired to protect him, chill Harry's very heart when others are unaffected? Once again, Rowling has created a mystery that will have children and adults cheering, not to mention standing in line for her next book. Fortunately, there are four more in the works. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson From the Inside Flap: 9781408834985: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - AbeBooks - Rowling, J. K.: 1408834987 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ISBN 10: 1408834987 ISBN 13: 9781408834985 Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2013 About this title Harry Potter is lucky to reach the age of thirteen, since he has survived the murderous attacks of the feared Dark Lord on more than one occasion.

But his hopes for a quiet school term concentrating on Quidditch are dashed when a maniacal mass-murderer escapes from Azkaban, pursued by the soul-sucking Dementors who guard the prison. It's assumed that Hogwarts is the safest place for Harry to be. But is it a coincidence that he can feel eyes watching him in the dark, and should he be taking Professor Trelawney's ghoulish predictions seriously? "synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title. Review: For most children, summer vacation is something to look forward to. But not for our 13-year-old hero, who's forced to spend his summers with an aunt, uncle, and cousin who detest him. The third book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series catapults into action when the young wizard "accidentally" causes the Dursleys' dreadful visitor Aunt Marge to inflate like a monstrous balloon and drift up to the ceiling.

Fearing punishment from Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon (and from officials at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who strictly forbid students to cast spells in the nonmagic world of Muggles), Harry lunges out into the darkness with his heavy trunk and his owl Hedwig. As it turns out, Harry isn't punished at all for his errant wizardry. Instead he is mysteriously rescued from his Muggle neighborhood and whisked off in a triple-decker, violently purple bus to spend the remaining weeks of summer in a friendly inn called the Leaky Cauldron. What Harry has to face as he begins his third year at Hogwarts explains why the officials let him off easily. It seems that Sirius Black--an escaped convict from the prison of Azkaban--is on the loose. Not only that, but he's after Harry Potter. But why? And why do the Dementors, the guards hired to protect him, chill Harry's very heart when others are unaffected? Once again, Rowling has created a mystery that will have children and adults cheering, not to mention standing in line for her next book. Fortunately, there are four more in the works.

(Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson From the Inside Flap: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Book Review What parents need to know Educational value J. K. Rowling borrows from many established stories and myths to piece together her magical world. Kids can look up more about bogarts, flying brooms, magic wands, etc., compare the author's take with other interpretations, and think about how and why she weaves these magical elements and beings into her stories. See the "Families Can Talk about" section for more discussion ideas. Positive messages Friendship, love, bravery, and loyalty are always major themes in the series. This book also tackles more mature themes like conquering fear and a need for revenge. Positive role models Harry makes a very difficult and mature choice, showing some mercy to someone partially responsible for his parents' deaths, and realizing that his parents wouldn't want his friends to become murderers. He doesn't behave admirably all the time, however -- he and Ron are cruel to Hermione when she tries to protect Harry, and there's even more rule-breaking than in previous books -- Harry sneaks out to the wizarding village without permission.

Besides Dumbledore, Professor Lupin becomes another good mentor for Harry, helping him conquer his fears and save the day. Violence Harry believes he is marked for death and stalked by a murderer most of the school year. Children are in peril, often at the hands of magical creatures: Dementors (black-robed floating beings that suck the happiness out of people) attack Harry and others, making Harry hear the sound of his mother dying as he passes out; they almost administer "the kiss of death," extracting someone's soul through his mouth. A hippogriff (eagle-horse mix) is provoked and strikes a student; the same creature is executed by a hatchet. A Boggart in a class demonstration changes shape to match what students are most afraid of (and kids learn to fight their fears with laughter). A large dog breaks Ron's leg. Adult characters threaten to kill another. A werewolf chases Harry and Hermione. Hermione punches a boy. Sex One "damn" and "b-" spelled that way. Consumerism Chocolate Frogs and other sweets mentioned were at first only fantasy products, but are now for sale. Drinking, drugs, & smoking Harry's Aunt Marge and Hagrid both get drunk.

Butterbeer is introduced (a magical-world drink with a pinch of alcohol) and the kids go to a pub in Hogsmeade. Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that J.K. Rowling continues her great plotting and pacing, but this book's edgier themes will appeal more to older kids. For most of the school year, Harry believes he is marked for death and stalked by an escaped prisoner. He also battles a creature of kids' worst nightmares: the Dementors are black-robed floating beings that suck out happiness and feed on your worst fears, which is why Harry hears the sound of his mother's last scream when he sees them. While this can be tough for young and sensitive readers, the bright spot is the Boggart lesson in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Boggarts can turn into what a person fears most, but the kids learn to yell "Ridiculous!" and turn it into something to laugh at. Parents who want to learn more about the series (and spin-off movies and games) can read our Harry Potter by Age and Stage article . User reviews Review this title! What's the story?

This third entry in the series is scarier and more intense than the last two -- and even more exciting: When he can't stand his relatives' tormenting any more, Harry runs off, only to be picked up by a magical bus and taken to the Leaky Cauldron Inn. There he learns that Sirius Black, who supposedly betrayed his parents, has escaped from the wizard prison Azkaban, and is coming to kill him. The soul-sucking Dementors, guards from the prison, are dispatched to protect him back at school, but Harry finds that whenever one comes near he can hear his mother dying. But Black seems to get into the school anyway, Hermione and the new Dark Arts teacher each have secrets, and Ron's rat Scabbers and Hermione's new cat act strangely. When Harry obtains a map showing all the secret passages in the school, he makes discoveries about his parents, Snape, Black, and the new teacher. But what he learns may pit him against the Ministry of Magic. Is it any good? QUALITY J.K. Rowling has sidestepped the usual series-writer trap of sticking so closely to a successful formula that each book is just more of the same.

With Harry about to enter adolescence, the series, too, seems to be changing; this entry is darker, more complex, and morally more ambiguous than the first two. As he is forced by the Dementors to confront his parents' deaths directly, Harry -- who was always so cool in the earlier books -- is more emotionally unstable. Unlike the static characters in other series, Harry is getting older, with all that entails. Rowling is a master of careful plotting, and the author is rumored to have planned out the whole story of the series in advance, for a total of seven books. In this volume, her planning shows, and the complexity is so great that, at times, it even inspires rereading. Rowling knows her readers, but even as she stretches their intellect, she never loses them. Families can talk about... Families can talk about the more mature content in this book, which marks a turning point in the series. Did the book scare you more than the others in the series so far? Did it make you think more? Why do you think the author made this one for slightly older kids? Even though the Harry Potter books are considered fantasy, this book contains a big mystery and lots of twists and surprises.

What do you like best about it -- the fantasy part? The mystery? The surprise ending? Book details Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ( 2004 ) PG | It's Harry's third year at Hogwarts; not only does he have a new "Defense Against the Dark Arts" teacher, but there is also trouble brewing. Convicted murderer Sirius Black has escaped the Wizards' Prison and is coming after Harry. Director: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC Famous Directors: From Sundance to Prominence From Christopher Nolan to Quentin Tarantino and every Coen brother in between, many of today's most popular directors got their start at the Sundance Film Festival . Here's a list of some of the biggest names to go from Sundance to Hollywood prominence.

a list of 47 titles created 22 Dec 2013 a list of 48 titles created 14 Mar 2015 a list of 25 titles created 09 May 2015 a list of 29 titles created 24 Jun 2015 a list of 43 titles created 11 months ago Title: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) 7.8/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 14 wins & 42 nominations. See more awards » Videos Harry finds himself mysteriously selected as an under-aged competitor in a dangerous tournament between three schools of magic. Director: Mike Newell Harry ignores warnings not to return to Hogwarts, only to find the school plagued by a series of mysterious attacks and a strange voice haunting him. Director: Chris Columbus With their warning about Lord Voldemort's return scoffed at, Harry and Dumbledore are targeted by the Wizard authorities as an authoritarian bureaucrat slowly seizes power at Hogwarts.

Director: David Yates As Harry Potter begins his sixth year at Hogwarts, he discovers an old book marked as "the property of the Half-Blood Prince" and begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort's dark past. Director: David Yates As Harry races against time and evil to destroy the Horcruxes, he uncovers the existence of three most powerful objects in the wizarding world: the Deathly Hallows. Director: David Yates Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Director: Chris Columbus Four kids travel through a wardrobe to the land of Narnia and learn of their destiny to free it with the guidance of a mystical lion. Director: Andrew Adamson A newly recruited night security guard at the Museum of Natural History discovers that an ancient curse causes the animals and exhibits on display to come to life and wreak havoc. Director: Shawn Levy After his swamp is filled with magical creatures, Shrek agrees to rescue Princess Fiona for a villainous lord in order to get his land back.

Directors: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson Stars: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz A young boy wins a tour through the most magnificent chocolate factory in the world, led by the world's most unusual candy maker. Director: Tim Burton The Pevensie siblings return to Narnia, where they are enlisted to once again help ward off an evil king and restore the rightful heir to the land's throne, Prince Caspian. Director: Andrew Adamson Directors: Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and 1 more credit » Stars: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz Edit Storyline Harry Potter is having a tough time with his relatives (yet again). He runs away after using magic to inflate Uncle Vernon's sister Marge who was being offensive towards Harry's parents. Initially scared for using magic outside the school, he is pleasantly surprised that he won't be penalized after all. However, he soon learns that a dangerous criminal and Voldemort's trusted aide Sirius Black has escaped from the Azkaban prison and wants to kill Harry to avenge the Dark Lord.

To worsen the conditions for Harry, vile creatures called Dementors are appointed to guard the school gates and inexplicably happen to have the most horrible effect on him. Little does Harry know that by the end of this year, many holes in his past (whatever he knows of it) will be filled up and he will have a clearer vision of what the future has in store... Written by Soumitra Have you seen this wizard? See more » Genres: Rated PG for frightening moments, creature violence and mild language | See all certifications » Parents Guide: 4 June 2004 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: The IMAX Experience See more » Filming Locations: £23,882,688 (UK) (4 June 2004) Gross: Did You Know? Trivia When Chris Columbus scripted Young Sherlock Holmes (1985), Watson believed Holmes obsessed over a case, even at Christmas because unlike other boys his age, he had no family to go home to, like Harry Potter or Kevin McCallister, and Columbus has ties to both the Harry Potter and Home Alone franchises.

See more » Goofs When Harry, Ron, and Hermione first enter their train compartment with Lupin sleeping, the train appears to be shaking, but the liquid in Lupin's bottle does not move. See more » Quotes See more » Crazy Credits The credits appear as a version of the Marauder's Map, moving all over the surface, accompanied by little footprints which react and change appropriately. See more » Connections Conducted, Composed, and Produced by John Williams Performed by 'The London Oratory School Schola' (Melbourne, Australia) – See all my reviews This third Harry Potter film is the best one yet. Director Alphonso Cuaron (Y Tu Mama Tambien, A Little Princess) has taken over from Chris Columbus and has stuck less slavishly to the original JK Rowling Books. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are back as Harry, Ron and Hermoine, with Hermoine in particular getting to do a lot more. There are less Quidditch matches, and more menace, in keeping with the improved complexity of Rowling's third novel. Hogwarts is not safe, Draco Malfoy is no longer a menace, but just a pain in the ass.

And the new CGI-scripted character Buckbeak the Hippogriff (half eagle, half horse) looks fantastic and has personality.The kids are all supposed to be thirteen but look older - hey we'll forgive them. Neville Longbottom has lost so much weight he's almost unrecognisable. Great performances from Emma Thompson hamming it up as the ditsy professor of foretelling, Prof Trelawny, Michael Gambon as the new Professor Dumbledore (not as magical but good), David Thewliss as Prof Lupin, and Gary Oldman as the Prisoner of Azkhaban.Thrilling, complex, menacing, ****/***** stars. 159 of 233 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes

Question: In the Harry Potter series, what is the name of the soul sucking guards from Azkaban?
Answer: Dementors